JDRF One Ride 2018 to fundraise $$ for diabetes research

Terri Allen is fundraising for JDRF diabetes research. Link

Terri Allen from the Monash University's Department of Diabetes and Carrie Keller are doing the JDRF Ride for the Cure to fundraise for JDRF and network for our department. We would love you to help sponsor us as we attempt an 80km ride!

Please head to Terri's page if you can spare a few dollars for this great charity that in turn supports many people's research in the diabetes department. Please spread the word to family and friends! Link:

https://jdrf-ride-2018.everydayhero.com/au/terri

Many thanks, Terri Allen

Immune cells discovered in the eye may help premature babies

Wilkinson-Berka group. L-R: Mr Jack Jerome,  Ms Osanna Wong, Mr
Saeed Alrashdi, Dr Devy Deliyanti, Professor Jenny Wilkinson-Berka.
Jack, Devy and Jenny are authors on the paper.

by Anne Crawford

Ground-breaking research by Monash University scientists has demonstrated the previously unknown existence of a disease-fighting immune cell in the eye and points to potential novel ways of treating eye disorders in premature babies and diabetic adults.

The scientists, led by Professor Jennifer Wilkinson-Berka in the Central Clinical School’s new Department of Diabetes, were investigating improved ways of treating retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), which occurs in very small, prematurely born babies.

Congratulations to Prof Jenny Wilkinson-Berka on JDRF grant!

The diabetic retinopathy research group. L-R: Mr Jack Jerome,
Ms Osanna Wong, Mr Saeed Alrashdi, Dr Devy Deliyanti,
Professor Jenny Wilkinson-Berka

Congratulations to Professor Jenny Wilkinson-Berka on the award of almost 1 million dollars from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF) New York to commence in October 2017. The grant is for 3 years and titled, Boosting the immune system to treat diabetic retinopathy.

The purpose of the JDRF award is to determine if boosting immunosuppressive T regulatory cells (Tregs) reduces the vision-threatening damage to the retinal vasculature that can occur in people with diabetes.

Monash awarded $1.1M grant to support development of revolutionary type of insulin

L-R: Ms Shweta Jagdale (Lab manager) &
Dr Christoph Hagemeyer in the lab

Monash researcher, Dr Christoph Hagemeyer, has received AUD$1.1 million dollars in funding as part of a multi-million dollar collaborative grant to support the development of a revolutionary type of insulin.

The grant is part of a joint research initiative between the JDRF, leading global organisation funding and advocating for type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, and Sanofi US Services Inc., a subsidiary of Sanofi, one of the leading insulin manufacturers and a global pharmaceutical company. The grant will provide up to USD4.6 million to four research projects taking different approaches to developing glucose responsive insulin (GRIs) therapies for treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes.

Dr Hagemeyer, who is a research group leader in the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, will work in collaboration with Dr Frank Caruso (University of Melbourne), Dr Jonathan Shaw, Dr Mark Copper and Dr Terri Allen (from Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute) to develop glucose-sensing nanoparticles.